Microcannulas – Where’s the Point?

Endorsements don’t get much better than that. Before you get to the end of this article, you’ll know why.

What are blunt tip microcannulas?

The blunt tip microcannula is the single biggest advancement in soft tissue fillers in the last decade. Dramatic? Yes, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

Microcannulas (also called smooth tip microcannula, Blunt tipped cannula or simply blunt needle) are a blunt tipped replacement for traditional needles. They’re used for injecting dermal fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, Radiesse, or any other filler on the market.

We offer them in 11 different sizes ranging from 30 gauge and 1″ long to 16 gauge and 4″ long allowing you to choose the perfect size for different fillers and different parts of the face.

With such a large array of sizes, you’ll have everything you need to treat nasolabial folds, cheeks, melomental troughs (marionette lines), lips, and pre jowl sulci, nasal augmentation (“liquid rhinoplasty”), temple injections, rejuvenation of the hands, and scar treatment.
The larger microcannulas do an amazing job with fat transfer while the tiny microcannulas are great for around the eyes.

Why the blunt tip?

Many ports are necessary when using traditional, stiff needles. Every injection port increases the likelihood of bruising. The point on a traditional need almost guarantees patient bruising.

With blunt tip microcannulas, one port is enough for several treatment areas. You also don’t have to worry about bruising because the blunt tip pushes the vessel aside. Watch this short video for a better explanation.

So why doesn’t everyone use microcannulas?

Mainly because they’re relatively new and it’s going to take some momentum to overcome the decades of inertia traditional needles have. You’d be hard pressed to find a doctor who prefers needles. The few who do cite reasons of comfort or speed.

It’s almost fair to say microcannulas are objectively better than traditional needles. Any studies on them have concluded that they’re better.

For example, Dr. James Fulton from the University of Miami conducted a study using 95 patients aged 30-76 years who were interested in receiving dermal filler augmentation. The microcannula or a hypodermic needle was inserted the entire length of the fold, depression or lip, and the filler was injected in a linear retrograde fashion. The volume injected was variable, depending on the depth and the extent of the defect. The injecting physician used microcannula needles or traditional needles and the conclusion that his team came to was “using the blunt-tip microcannula as an alternative to the hypodermic needles has simplified filler injections and produced less bruising, ecchymosis, and pain with faster recovery.”Source

Another example comes from Dr. Sam Sukkar from Sukkar Aesthetic Plastic Surgery + Medical SPA in Houston, TX. He injected 11 patients with no filler history using a 1.5cc syringe of calcium hydroxyapatite based filler into the right and left Nasal Labial Fold (NLF). Random selection of right and left sides was determined with a coin toss and only the injector was aware of which technique – traditional needle or blunt microcannula.

The blunt tipped microcannula technique resulted in less reported pain as well as quicker recovery time. See a more detailed explanation of the results here: Dr. Sukkar results

Try it, get used to it, love it

Fillers are one of the most popular minimally invasive treatments available today. Over 2.4 million treatments were performed just last year which is over 200% more than 15 years ago.

With competition at an all-time high, staying at the forefront of technology and techniques is imperative.

Microcannulas truly are the future of injectables. You might as well hop on the train early and take advantage while you can. Your clients will thank you!